Meet Bulgarian Jewish teens and help serve their community as an Ambassador to Bulgaria, and then continue on to the Land of Milk & Honey for the classic Israel Journey experience. Spend four weeks this summer traveling with BBYO Passport.

PART 1 / Ambassador to Bulgaria

Be a part of a close-knit group of teens instilling hope in a Jewish community with a remarkable past. Join the 10-day Ambassador to Bulgaria experience, and take part in community service projects, build lasting friendships with local Jewish teens from Eastern Europe, and tour a beautiful land that is one of Europe's best kept secrets.

Why Bulgaria

For over a decade, BBYO has a tradition of organizing groups of North American teens on missions to Bulgaria. BBYO is proud to have a thriving local chapter in Bulgaria and regularly invites Jewish teens from Bulgaria to international events in North American and Israel. The Ambassador to Bulgaria experience is a wonderful opportunity to be a part of this tradition, view what it means to be Jewish from a different perspective, and form lasting friendships with Jewish teens abroad.

• A Mission of Service. The Ambassador to Bulgaria is primarily a service experience in a community in need of our support. Travel from city to city and village to village and leave your mark through projects such as restoring local synagogues, cheering up orphans, volunteering at a Jewish seniors home, and helping to feed the hungry.
  
• Building Bridges with Local Jewish Teens. What sets the Ambassador to Bulgaria experience apart from all other BBYO Passport programs is that our teens from North America are paired up for the entire ten day program with local Jewish teens from Bulgaria and Serbia. Experience Bulgaria through their eyes and learn what it means to be a Jewish teen today in a very different culture. Ambassador to Bulgaria is a cross-cultural experience with opportunities for real bonding and lasting friendships abroad.
  
• A Unique Teen Travel Experience. Ambassador to Bulgaria is also an opportunity to learn about a country with a remarkable past and to tour its beautiful countryside. Go hiking in the Balkan Mountains, relax on the shores of the Black Sea, and explore ancient monasteries and ornate synagogues.
  

PART 2 / Israel Journey Plus

Israel Journey Plus is a four-week cross-country experience – from the Golan Heights in the north to the tropical Red Sea in the far south…and everything in between. Along the way, we will walk in the footsteps of Jewish history, experience the vibrancy of modern Israeli culture, and connect with Israel’s colorful society.

The program includes visits to all of Israel’s most important sites – ancient Jerusalem, contemporary Tel Aviv, the Galilee, the Negev Desert and the heights of Masada. We also make time to experience Israel’s off-the-beaten-path charm -- enjoying a bonfire on the beach, taking part in an active archeological dig, sampling unique Middle Eastern cuisine, and participating in the re-birth of Israel by planting a tree in a new forest.

Israel Journey Plus includes a unique week long adventure and service driven experience. Spend the first half of this bonus week at Gadna, the IDF's basic training-style program for high school teens from abroad. The second half of the week is a community-based service project experience. These campus-based experiences provide an excellent alternative to the traditional touring format. The experiences are designed to open a window on two unique aspects of Israeli society.

The Israel Journey Plus experience is more than just a tour. It is also about debating the meaning of contemporary Zionism, exploring our Jewish identity from an Israeli point of view, delving into the intricacies of Middle Eastern politics, and connecting to our Jewish soul through a series of meaningful community service and spiritual experiences. Join us on the Journey.

• Learn the rich history of Sofia and experience local customs
• Explore the small towns and beautiful countryside with fellow Bulgarian teens
• Hike in the Balkan Mountains and swim in the Black Sea
• Enjoy the warmth of Shabbat in a small European Jewish community
• Contribute to the upkeep and well-being of Sofia's Jewish residents and their communal institutions
• Build lifelong friendships with teens from around the world
• Explore the tunnels, rooftops & alleys of Jerusalem's Old City
• Float in the Dead Sea and climb Masada at sunrise
• Dig at an active archeological excavation
• Snorkel in the tropical Red Sea and raft down the Jordan River
• Learn first-hand about contemporary Israeli politics
• Experience the culture of ultra-cool Tel Aviv
• Spend a meaningful Shabbat in Jerusalem
• Trek the desert by camel and experience a Bedouin tent bonfire feast

WEEK #1 / Ambassador to Bulgaria
Land in Sofia and begin a 9-day program of service, cross-cultural bridge-building, and touring in Bulgaria. Travel from cities, to villages, to mountains, and to the resort coast of the Black Sea. We will also spend a special Shabbat in Sofia hand-in-hand with the Jewish community of Bulgaria before lifting off for Israel the following Tuesday morning.

WEEK #2 / Jerusalem & Mediterranean Coast
Land at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel and begin the ascent to Jerusalem where we will spend the first part of the week walking the Old City and exploring the history of our ancestors. From Jerusalem we head up the Mediterranean Coast to the Western Galilee where we spend our first Shabbat on the beach.

WEEK #3 / Galilee, Golan Heights & Tel Aviv
Travel eastwards through the Galilee as we learn about the mystics of ancient Safed (Tsfat), take in the beauty of the Golan Heights, learn about kibbutz life, and explore the greenest and most water-filled region of Israel. We close out week two with a visit to Tel Aviv, Israel's cultural capital and one of the world's most trendy cities.

WEEK #4 / Gadna & Community Service
Taste the uniquely Israeli experience of basic training through the Gadna program, organized by the Israeli Defense Forces and located on a specialized army educational base. Learn new skills and challenge yourself mentally and physically during this character-building course. Then: give back some time and effort to those who need the most help within Israeli society. Activities may include preparation and delivery of meals for the hungry, building wheelchairs and crutches for disabled and elderly Israelis, working with disadvantaged children or helping the Jewish National Fund maintain Israel's natural environment.

WEEK #5 / Eilat, Negev Desert & Jerusalem
Head due south to Eilat, Israel's southernmost tip where we snorkel in the tropical Red Sea and learn about Israel's unique desert ecology. Continue on for a sunrise hike to Masada followed by an unforgettable float in the Dead Sea. The trip concludes by returning to where we started in Jerusalem with a somber visit to Yad Vashem followed by a moving Shabbat experience at the Western Wall.

Program Package

• Round-trip flights from NYC
• Accommodations (hotels, kibbutz lodging, Gadna Base Dormitories and Bedouin tent!)
• All meals (kosher or vegetarian/allowance)
• Activities & entrance fees
• Deluxe motorcoach
• Dynamic staff team
• Security escort & monitoring (Israel)
• Medical insurance (excludes pre-existing conditions)

Trip Links

• Program Itinerary
• Pre-Trip Prep Bulgaria 2011
• Pre-Trip Prep Israel 2011
• Why Israel, Why Now?
• Safety & Security

As a connected experience, this program combines the following two travel experiences: Ambassador to Bulgaria + Israel Journey Plus. At the end of the first program there will be a "bonus day" of light touring for those in the group who are also making the connection. The following day includes a supervised flight to the next destination country with some time for rest and relaxation before starting fresh with a new group. Trip connections are always supervised, all-inclusive, and they are planned to give teens a break between experiences.